Easton Ordinance Urged On Rabies Shots For Pets Briefly

Easton's health officer recommended to City Council on Tuesday night that an ordinance be established requiring dogs and cats to be immunized against rabies.

City solicitor Henry Newton noted, however, that the state already requires dogs to be immunized. He said there are no such regulations for cats and predicted such laws would be difficult to enforce.

Dr. Robert Stein, health officer, said rabies is moving north across the state, up through the Cumberland Valley. Stein predicted that even if a law requiring the inoculations merely existed in the city codes to get their pets immunized.

"It's moving more quickly than we expected, and it's closer than we expected," Stein said. "In the last two weeks there have been two rabid bats in the Bethlehem area."